The open rangeRDD has a similar structure to GTA4 when it comes to missions, but there are slightly less of them, and spread out over a greater area. The missions we saw were all very flavoursome takes on some classic western tropes.
First up was a hostage swap - a desperado in your custody for a pretty lady friend being held by some ne'er-do-wells in the abandoned town of Tumbleweed. Of course, the handover doesn't work, guns are drawn, and you've got to fight your way through town to rescue the pretty lady.
The gun-play seems accurate and balanced, while still retaining a lot of western flavour. The pistol is great for short-ranged work, while you can aim over the iron-sights of the Winchester to pick off targets further away. In fact, we saw one poor bastard get clipped in the leg as he crossed the peak of a roof to fire down on us. He clasped his leg in pain, only to fall over and then roll off - still clasping the gunshot leg.
As we worked our way through town, we saw him limping off into the sunset.
This kind of environmental interaction is thanks to the game's implementation of the Rockstar's Euphoria Physics engine and the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE). We've seen this before in GTA, and to Midnight Club LA, but it really shines in RDD. The environment seems to be truly alive, and after we'd rescued our fair maiden we galloped off to see a bit of it.
The open world is full of bandits, posses and lawmen, all going about their business. You might come across man hanging from a tree, a broken down carriage or a herd of wild horses - each will have its own natural place in the landscape, and you'll have the ability to interact with all of it. In fact, if you'd stumbled across the hanging at an earlier point, you can even step in to save the poor guy.
Assuming you're playing nice. You can always just watch.
The critters are just as alive, from packs of wolves who might chase your horse if they're not too busy hunting prairie-dogs, to your horse itself. In fact, each horse will have individual stats when it comes speed, the ability to not freak out and throw you if you stumble across a rattlesnake, and general stamina. As you're galloping about the tracks and trails you can pick up the horse's speed by spurring it on, however this drains stamina and might even enrage the animal.
Even the wild horses we mentioned can be caught and broken in. And, we presume, sold for a handy profit in the various towns dotting the world.
All up, RDD is a much more exciting and dangerous place than Liberty City ever was. So many previews, especially recently, have left us feeling warned off rather than excited about a game, so it's a real pleasure to be feeling quietly excited about an upcoming release. The game will be out in the third quarter of this year on PS3 and Xbox 360. Whether a PC version is coming, it's hard to say - Rockstar is being cagey.
No matter, this is game that's looking like it will be worth playing as soon as you can.
Issue: 133 | February, 2012